Heritage’s Dec. 14 Premier Session featured a group of key Coronet gold $10 eagles that could be considered undervalued when compared with the more popular Coronet $20 double eagles. Leading the group was an 1864-S $10 eagle graded Extremely Fine 40 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. that realized $57,600.

The 1864-S mintage is known as the rarest San Francisco Mint issue of the type, and is the second-rarest in the series, behind the 1875 Philadelphia Mint issues. Perhaps 40 survivors remain from a mintage of 2,500, and it’s popular as a Civil War era date that was widely circulated in the Western United States.

Q. David Bowers considers it a bit of a sleeper, writing, “By any serious reckoning, the 1864-S eagle should be famous as one of America’s premier gold rarities. Indeed, the 1864-S eagle is a rarity of legendary proportions, although this fact is hidden from all who do not delve into specialized references.”

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